


Pythagorean Problems

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [79]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-25 21:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18171560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: “I should go,” she said, moving to side-step him when he suddenly straightened and blocked her path.“Actually, Carter… there’s something I wanted to ask you.”“The answer’s no.”





	Pythagorean Problems

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Chocolate Caramel Day’ (19 March). AU. I apologize for everything. This month’s selection of holidays are _not_ my friends.

Samantha closed her locker door and shouldered her duffle. As she turned to leave, she came face-to-face with Jack and she jumped.

“Carter,” he smirked.

“O’Neill.”

“Whatcha doin’?”

Slowly, Sam let her gaze travel from Jack’s head down to his feet and back again. He had one shoulder rested against the lockers, a rucksack thrown haphazardly over the other shoulder and his hands in the pockets of his jeans, while his legs were crossed at the ankles. He looked like he was there for the long-haul, which Sam deduced was highly likely, if it meant he didn’t have to be where he was supposed to be.

When he raised a brow at her in silent question, she adjusted the strap of her bag and sighed. “I’m heading to class,” she offered. “You know, the thing we come to school for?”

When he failed to move, she added, “You playing hooky again?”

“Nah,” he shrugged. “Not today.”

“I should go,” she smiled, moving to side-step him when he suddenly straightened and blocked her path.

“Actually, Carter… there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“The answer’s no.”

Sam caught the tiny frown that appeared on Jack’s face before he shook his head. “But you don’t even know what I’m going to ask?”

“Really?” She threw him a look of disbelief. “So, you weren’t going to ask – again – if you could copy my homework?”

“No, actually, I wasn’t.”

Sam started to roll her eyes, only to see a hint of apprehension appear on his face. “Oh. Well, what did you want to ask?”

“Ah,” Jack pulled a hand from his pocket and ran it across the back of his neck. “I, ah, I was wondering if you – ah – wouldyoubemystudybuddy?”

Sam’s eyes widened slightly. “What was that?”

“Would you be my study buddy?” He repeated with a wince.

“I –”

The sound of laughter reached her ears and she glanced across the hallway to see Charles Kawalsky and Louis Ferretti watching them, their amusement evident, while Daniel Jackson stood a few steps away, a mixture of guilt and sympathy played across his features, and Sam’s confusion was quickly replaced with anger. Anger that she seemed to be the subject of another joke by the school jocks.

“Did one of them put you up to this?”

“Huh?”

Sam gestured towards his friends and he followed her gaze. “Which one?”

“I don’t –”

“This is obviously some kind of joke, so which one of them is responsible?”

“It’s not a joke.”

When Sam crossed her arms over her chest, Jack sighed. “I swear, Carter. Just – just ignore them. They –”

“I’m going to be late for class,” she interrupted as she started to walk away, only for him to reach out and gently wrap a hand around her wrist. When Sam froze, he closed his eyes. “Can you hear me out for two minutes?”

“You have one.”

“OK, look. I’ve just had a little chat with Hammond, and –”

“Summoned to the Principal’s office again, were we?”

At Jack’s unamused look, Sam gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry. Carry on.”

“I want to join the Air Force,” he admitted quietly as he took a step closer. “But, Hammond says my math and physics grades need to improve if I want that to happen, so…” He hesitated for a beat, and rubbed the back of his neck again. “I thought since you were the resident genius around here, you might be able to help?”

“You want my help?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Charlie and Louis. They’re pissing themselves because I’m about to fail, Carter, not because this is a wind-up.”

“Oh.”

Sam took a minute to study the teenager standing in front of her. Despite them being in the same year, she’d only had a few interactions with him over the handful of classes they shared. A lot of the time he liked to mess around and play the fool, but underneath the façade, she always had an inkling that Jack was a lot smarter than he liked to admit. She did know that he found math and science difficult however – often vocalizing his disdain for scientists on a weekly basis. On a personal level, Jack had never been rude to her, but she wouldn’t necessarily say he was someone that she tended to spend time with outside of high school. Even if he was kind of cute.

“Will you think about it?”

The sound of his question pulled Sam from her thoughts just as the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon classes.

“What’s in it for me?”

Jack frowned. “Huh?”

“Say I agree to be your ‘study buddy’,” she said, throwing air quotes around the term. “What do I get from it?”

“Aside from spending a couple of hours in my enthralling company?”

She pursed her lips in an effort to stop a smile from escaping.

“I could… take you to the movies?”

“Are you just using this as an excuse to hit on me?”

“No. Not exactly. I really do need help,” he said, ignoring her snicker. “Uh, you like flowers?”

When she scrunched her nose, he shook his head. “OK, so no flowers. What about chocolate?”

“What kind?”

“Whatever,” he shrugged. “You name it, it’s yours.”

“Hmm.” She tilted her head to the side as she weighed up the deal.

She knew already that she would help him study, but she just wanted to see him squirm for a while longer when she remembered a very important detail.

“You own a motorcycle?”

“Yeah,” he answered warily and Sam grinned triumphantly.

“OK,” she finally answered. “A box of chocolate caramels every week until our finals – plus a go on the motorcycle.”

“Who rides up front?”

“We’ll arm wrestle for that one,” she quipped as she shifted her bag to her other shoulder, completely missing the surprised, and slightly impressed, look on Jack’s face.

When she met his eye again, he shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “Let me think about it,” he murmured as he brushed by her and Sam let her gaze follow him until he disappeared into one of the classrooms.

* * *

The following morning, Sam opened her locker to find a small red box inside. Carefully unraveling the matching ribbon, she opened the box and smiled when she saw a selection of chocolate caramels inside, along with a slip of paper. She unfolded it and her smile widened as she read the words, _‘See ya later, Study Buddy!’_

**Author's Note:**

> Writing for Sam and Jack in an AU situation is tough. Writing for Sam and Jack in an AU situation where they are teenagers is nigh-on impossible. 😂 Also, if anyone can come up with a better title for this, please let me know!


End file.
